Full Details: Pearl Jam’s Vs. and Vitalogy Reissues

March 29th will feel like a national holiday for Pearl Jam fans. That’s when Epic Records and Legacy will release the long-awaited expanded versions of Pearl Jam’s classic second and third albums, Vs. and Vitalogy. Vinyl editions will follow on April 12, which is Record Store Day. Read on for all the details.

From the press release:

Epic Records and Legacy Recordings celebrate Pearl Jam’s 20th anniversary with the release of newly restored and expanded editions of Vs. and Vitalogy, the second and third albums from Pearl Jam which broke all initial SoundScan records and secured the band’s reputation as a preeminent force in American rock music.

Vs. and Vitalogy will be available in new Expanded Editions (featuring three bonus tracks on each) or together in a three-disc Deluxe Edition (featuring Live at the Orpheum Theater, Boston, April 12, 1994) and Limited Edition Collector’s Box Set, on Tuesday, March 29th. Each album will also be released in new commemorative remastered Vinyl Editions on April 12th in time for Record Store Day 2011 (April 16th).

Pre-orders for the Vs. and Vitalogy Limited Edition Collector’s Boxed Set begin today at http://www.PearlJam.com.

Details on the new Reissue Formats of Vs. and Vitalogy are as follows:

1. Expanded Editions (CD and Digital)

The expanded editions of Vs. and Vitalogy — including the original studio albums, newly remastered, along with album-era bonus tracks — will each be available on CD and digital formats:

· The Expanded Edition of Vs. includes three bonus tracks recorded by Brendan O’Brien at The Site studio during the Vs. sessions:

– a previously unreleased acoustic version of “Hold On”;

– “Cready Stomp” – a previously unreleased studio outtake;

– and the band’s cover of Victoria Williams’ “Crazy Mary” featuring Williams on backing vocals and guitar.

· The Expanded Edition of Vitalogy includes three bonus tracks:

– the previously unreleased guitar/organ-only mix of “Betterman”;

– a previously unreleased alternate take of “Corduroy” from the Vitalogy session (recorded by Brendan O’Brien);

– a previously unreleased demo version of “Nothingman,” taken from the original DAT (recorded at John and Stu’s in Seattle on October 14, 1993, featuring Richard Stuverud on drums).

2. Deluxe Editions (3 CDs or Digital Download Bundle at Various Digital Service Providers)

· Deluxe Edition CD version – Vs. and Vitalogy will be available together in a CD deluxe edition which includes:

– the Expanded Edition of each album;

– a copy of Live at the Orpheum Theater, Boston, April 12, 1994. A special performance recorded at the tail end of the mythic Vs. tour, Live at the Orpheum Theater showcases a dream setlist created especially by the Pearl Jam crew and has for years been one of the most sought-after recordings among serious aficionados.

3. Limited Edition Collector’s Box Set (5 LPs, 4 CDs, 1 Cassette, Digital Download, Composition Notebook, Memorabilia-filled Envelope)

Vs. and Vitalogy will be available together in a limited edition collector’s box set that includes 59 unique Pearl Jam performances on four CDs, five LPs and one cassette in addition to a number of guest artist performances. The Limited Edition Box set is only available for sale at pearljam.com.

Contents include:

· Expanded Editions of Vs. and Vitalogy remastered with bonus tracks on CD;

· Remastered Vinyl Editions of Vs. (single LP) and Vitalogy (double LP);

· Double vinyl LP and CD of Live at the Orpheum Theater, Boston, April 12, 1994 plus an exclusive digital download of the concert. A special performance recorded at the tail end of the mythic Vs. tour, Live at the Orpheum Theater showcases a dream setlist created especially by the Pearl Jam crew and has for years been one of the most sought-after recordings among serious aficionados;

· Exclusive collector’s cassette featuring live tribute and studio performances from a number of Pearl Jam’s fellow artist friends. Broadcast on January 8, 1995, this recording is part of the legendary Monkeywrench/Self-Pollution Radio series produced by the band;

· 80-page composition book filled with photos, drawings and artwork by Eddie Vedder and Jeff Ament;

· A glassine envelope containing a collection of Vs. and Vitalogy- era memorabilia including beautiful lithographs of each band member, postcards, posters and much more.

4. Record Store Day Vinyl Editions (Remastered) – Available April 12th

Vs. and Vitalogy will be available at independent record retailers in new commemorative Vinyl Editions on April 12th in time for Record Store Day 2011 (April 16th).

· Vs. (single LP) and Vitalogy (double LP) – both remastered

* * * * *

Vs.

Originally released in 1993, Vs., Pearl Jam’s sophomore effort, faced the daunting challenge of following the success of Ten, the band’s 1991 debut. Shattering all expectations, Vs., the first Pearl Jam album helmed by producer Brendan O’Brien, rolled into its first of five weeks atop the Billboard 200 at #1 with the highest first week’s sales (more than 950,000 copies) in music history; a record it would hold for the next five years.

Vs. Original Tracklisting:

Go
Animal
Daughter
Glorified G
Dissident
W.M.A.
Blood
Rearviewmirror
Rats
Elderly Woman Behind the Counter in a Small Town
Leash
Indifference

* * * * *

Vitalogy

Released in December 1994, Pearl Jam’s third studio album, Vitalogy entered the Billboard 200 at #1, second only to Vs. as the fastest-selling CD in chart history at that time.

Vitalogy Original Tracklisting:

Last Exit
Spin The Black Circle
Not For You
Tremor Christ
Nothingman
Whipping
Pry, To
Corduroy
Bugs
Satan’s Bed
Betterman
Aye Davanita
Immortality
Stupid Mop

* * * * *

Pearl Jam 20

In 1991, Pearl Jam’s debut album Ten catapulted the little-known Seattle-based band into superstardom. Nine studio albums, hundreds of unique live performances and nearly 300 concert bootleg releases later, the band continue to be critically acclaimed and commercially successful — with over 60 million albums sold worldwide. Over the past twenty years, the band has remained a major force in rock and roll, as much for its aggressive loyalty to its social and political principles and restless experimentation as for its rock radio staples and bestselling albums.

2011 will be a yearlong celebration of Pearl Jam’s rich twenty-year history. The anniversary festivities kicked off with the release of a new live compilation album, Live on Ten Legs, in January, followed by the March expanded reissues of Vs. and Vitalogy. Late summer brings a Pearl Jam 20th anniversary destination weekend bash followed by the fall release of Cameron Crowe’s film, Pearl Jam Twenty, along with an accompanying book and soundtrack album. Interspersed between these PJ20 highlights will be a number of additional special events and new, unexpected releases. For the latest Pearl Jam happenings, visit www.pearljam.com.